Management of Tall Wet Grasslands in Dudwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, Indian Terai Protected Areas–Conservation Implications

Management of Tall Wet Grasslands in Dudwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, Indian Terai Protected Areas–Conservation Implications

Tall wet grasslands in the northern alluvial flood plains of the river Ganges and Brahmaputra are popularly known as Terai grasslands. Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh,India, is a moist deciduous forest dominated by sal (Shorea robusta) interspersed with numerous swamps and tall, wet grasslands dominated by Saccharum, Narenga, Sclerostachya, Imperata and Typha species. Common management practices used by the Dudhwa National Park Management include: (1) grass cut and burned; (2) grass cut, removed, and burned; (3) grass harrowed and burned; and (4) grass burned for tall wet grasslands. In this study split plots of 100 m x 260 m were used to assess the effects of these burning treatments. Twelve data sets covering different seasons were collected from April 1998 to January 2001 wherein 150 plots (5 treatments x 10 plots x 3 replicates) were sampled. The paper provides information on diversity, distribution, succession and the adaptive management practices of the Terai tall wet grasslands. The study indicated that Desmostachya bipinnata, a species of poor value to wildlife and local people, showed increased abundance and aboveground biomass at the cost of other preferred prominent grass species in the managed plots, particularly the harrowed-burned treatment. The resultant likely change of the Upland grassland predominated by Imperata cylindrica and the Sclerostachya fusca, Saccharum narenga and Saccharum spontaneum dominated Lowland grassland to Desmostachya bipinnata due to repeated harrowed-burned treatment is a major management concern. This calls for a regular monitoring of the species composition and their abundance. Harrowing should be completely avoided.